September 26 is Human Resource Professional Day!
Employees are the foundation of every successful business. And as the employment landscape grows in complexity seemingly every year, HR professionals play a key role in helping organizations adjust to the rapidly transforming workplace.
September 26 has been designated as Human Resource Professional Day, created in October 2013 to celebrate and recognize the individuals who are helping to create better workplaces around the world.
These professionals are skilled to handle the most difficult of situations. Whether it’s following important and complex legislative laws, or ensuring employees get paid correctly, and on-time—there’s nothing these can-doers can’t handle.
As we usher in the new era of an employee-centric work culture, HR is taking center stage. Here are 10 reasons why you should thank your HR Manager today.
1. People management: HR is responsible for all aspects within an organization that are related to people, including recruiting, performance management, compensation planning, employee benefits, compliance, and much more. These professionals ensure employees have the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to perform their jobs, improving a company’s bottom line and helping them achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
2. Employee benefit administration and analysis: In today’s hyper-competitive market, employees evaluate their benefits as a critical component of their total compensation. A benefits specialist has the power to craft a great benefits package that will attract and excite candidates—ultimately reducing the company’s costs associated with turnover. These experts are also responsible for the administration of all benefits and retirement programs, helping with new hire onboarding, working with employees to address benefits claims issues and changes, monitoring trends in the marketplace, and managing the open enrollment process.
3. Recruiting and onboarding: As the war for talent rages on, a robust recruiting and human capital management strategy has never been more significant. Recruiting specialists are responsible for managing the entire hiring lifecycle, from screening resumes to scheduling interviews, to onboarding new employees. With the current labor shortage and the importance of cultivating strong candidates, the right recruiter can serve as a valued partner in evaluating and attracting the best talent, making your company an employer of choice.
4. Corporate culture and employee engagement: It’s no secret workplace culture plays an integral role in job satisfaction, morale, and productivity. But corporate culture extends far beyond free snacks in the kitchen or companywide events and parties (although we love those, too!). A strong company culture also includes how employees interact across departments, how engaged employees are within the company, and how responsive leadership is to employee feedback. HR Managers, through their many roles, help to shape an organization’s culture and make it sustainable.
Additionally, HR professionals proved to be an even more invaluable source in maintaining workplace culture amid the pressures of the pandemic. These individuals were vital in keeping employees and their workplaces safe and healthy.
5. Compensation and pay planning: HR compensation specialists help develop and structure compensation packages to ensure company wages are competitive with other businesses in the same industry and location. They’re responsible for conducting salary research and benchmarking, monitoring inflation trends, and adjusting compensation rates according to roles and skills. They also make sure their company is compliant with all state and federal compensation laws, including minimum wage, equal pay, and overtime.
6. Training and development: Upskilling and educational opportunities are in high demand among today’s workforces. HR professionals can help organizations create internal development programs and curriculums that help employees enhance their skills, build on their strengths, and address areas for improvement. They can also counsel employees about career paths within the organization and coach managers and department heads to become more effective leaders. These professionals are also responsible for managing companywide training to ensure all employment regulations are met.
7. Risk management and compliance: It’s essential in today’s business world to foster a culture of compliance. Employee risk management and compliance specialists help employers minimize their exposure and liability related to employment practices—reducing expenses and the dangers of costly employee-related accidents, lawsuits, and penalties. These experts are also responsible for managing state, local and federal regulations, keeping aligned with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws, developing workplace safety programs, and more.
8. Resolving conflict: There will always be conflict in the workplace, regardless of how happy and satisfied employees are. HR advocates for employees who have issues or disagreements with other colleagues or management, and takes on the role of both coach and mediator. Given the diversity of work styles, personalities and backgrounds, an HR Manager is well-versed in handling employee relations to effectively restore positive working relationships.
9. Technology: Technology is playing a larger role in many traditional HR duties, from performance management to scheduling to benefit enrollment. Tech-savvy HR leaders are focusing on enhancing digital systems to support hybrid work, investing in tools and apps that support employee mental health, connecting employees with online learning platforms for training and development, and utilizing comprehensive HRIS platforms to streamline HR tasks, maximize productivity, and improve employee engagement.
10. Supporting company growth: Perhaps the most important item on this list, HR professionals can be strong business partners to help support company growth and workforce planning. HR can help business leaders identify high-performing employees who can take on expanded roles as the company grows, support managers to become skilled at leading and developing teams, establish systems and policies to enhance the employee experience, provide effective learning and development, support the health and wellbeing of employees, and more.
HR management is crucial to any business, and the skills needed are extremely valuable. Today and every day, we celebrate and thank our HR Professionals! Without your expertise, we wouldn’t be able to grow and compete in today’s complex business world.
Learn more about how partnering with a PEO can help solve your HR challenges. Our expert HR teams are here to help.
